Many people with someone in a nursing home ask the same question: is Grandma (or Grandpa) alright?

This is a harder question to answer than it might at first seem. After all, nursing homes are the place where people’s health can be expected to deteriorate. No one goes to a nursing home who is expected to recover. No one goes to a nursing home who is capable of taking care of themselves. Their bodies have grown weak. Often, their minds have as well.

It is a sad fact that the human body fails near the end of life, and nursing homes are tasked with helping such people find as much comfort as possible in those final months and years.

So, if Grandma has gone to a nursing home already in poor health, perhaps with her mind in less than ideal condition, how can someone know if she is probably taken care of?

The question is an unfortunate one to have to ask at all, but cases of nursing home abuse do occur, even if they are rare. It is important to remain vigilant. But what are you looking for?

The most obvious sign is a sudden and unexpected decline in health. This does not, in and of itself, prove anything, but if the decline is not related to any particular health issue, it could be a sign that Grandma is being mistreated somehow.

Also, watch out for unusual bruises or other marks. While the elderly do bruise easily, a pattern of finding unusual bruises should start some warning bells ringing.

Other signs can include a decrease in appetite or Grandma becoming withdrawn or almost the exact opposite, aggressive.

Keep in mind that abuse can take many forms in a nursing home, and watch out accordingly. Abuse can be something as simple as physical violence, but it could also take the form of neglect. Another subtle form of abuse might be emotional or psychological abuse. These are more insidious because they are harder to find evidence against. Watch out for signs of any form (or any amount of severity) of abuse.

Above all, the best way to guard against any abuse is to be as present as possible in Grandma’s life. Be aware of her daily schedule. Make regular visits. Encourage her to open up if she’s still able to do so. The more present you are, the less likely anything can go wrong.

Grandma deserves to spend her last years in as much comfort and with as much happiness as possible. She took care of you when you were young and needed it, now it’s your turn. By watching out for warning signs and by remaining a regular presence in her life, you will not only ensure she’s safe in her new home, you’ll help bring a lot of that happiness to her life.

The economic benefits of having trees and other plants around your home have been proven time and again; large trees can provide shade and reduce your cooling bill in the summer and can also shield your home from cold winter winds. Other shrubs and flowering plants are pleasing to look at and can raise your property value as well as that of other homes in the area. In addition to the monetary benefits, having plenty of nature around your home can also help your mental health. One surprising benefit of having plenty of greenery around is that it may help reduce crime.

According to a study done by the University of Illinois in 2001 the presence of greenery surrounding a residential building in inner city Chicago led to significantly reduced crime rates. The study is available for download on the university website and is behind a paywall, but there is a summary of the statistics available as well as a free powerpoint that can be used for educational purposes (after filling out a brief request form). According to this study it was found that apartment buildings that had more surrounding greenery had up to 48% fewer crimes as well as 52% fewer violent crimes. The authors also found that even small increases in greenery resulted in significant decreases in crime. The study proposes that the reason for this is that greenery reduces aggression and violent tendencies and brings people outdoors. With more people hanging out on their porches and socializing outside, criminals are discouraged from engaging in criminal activity. The authors also posit that an apartment building that looks well kept implies that the residents care about their living space and about each other, which might mean that the residents will report wrongdoing or be on the lookout for anything that looks suspicious.

The issue with this study is that it is a purely correlational study. It would be difficult and costly to perform an actual experiment, and the housing development that is chosen to receive little to no greenery would suffer decreased mental health benefits. However, correlations can still be very valid evidence that city councils can use to promote landscaping efforts in the inner city. Indeed, it would provide even more opportunity to study the effects of greenery and crime rates. Unfortunately, since municipalities generally have limited budgets, it could be difficult to find the money for such a project, but the possible benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

Choosing the perfect plants to complement your home and neighborhood may be a challenge, but landscaping companies such as Ware Landscaping exist to help you get the most value out of the greenery you choose. If we assume that the study referenced above is valid, then you have yet another reason to make sure your home is surrounding by nature; discouraging criminals from coming to your home can also defer them from targeting other homes in your neighborhood so that the entire community can benefit.

According to an Ian Inglis Attorney at Law, under the Texas Penal Code Ann. – Section 22.01, assault is a serious crime. In many cases, however, people are not aware just how wide-ranging the prohibition on assault is. While many assault cases involve direct physical violence and harm, no actual contact needs to occur for a person to be charged with assault.

In the case of domestic assault and abuse, cases involve two or more individuals living in the same household. This might occur between spouses, lovers, a parent and child, roommates, etc. The physical harm may be sexual, emotional, or otherwise, though even the threat of injury (assault) can lead to criminal charges.

Every year, close to 10 million cases of domestic violence are reported in the U.S. Domestic abuse is often hard to prove, as one partner’s oversensitivity may be the only real issue. But where this crime is really committed, then the victim is not the only receiver of abusive acts, but the other members of the household too, especially the children, whose mentality and emotions will be affected by every act of abuse they will hear and see.

Domestic abuse includes forced sexual acts, emotional abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse and psychological abuse. All these acts are actually aimed at gaining control and power over the perpetrator’s victim.

Some of the specific types of domestic violence include:

– Emotional abuse, which is aimed at weakening a victim’s self-esteem through total indifference to his or her abilities or through continuous name-calling and criticism;

– Physical abuse, which may include slapping, hair-pulling, punching, forcing the other to use illegal drugs or alcohol, and so forth.

While victims of domestic abuse end up becoming withdrawn, problematic, uncertain and mostly embarrassed of his or her actions, children in homes where domestic abuses take place also become afraid, stressed, ashamed, confused and guilty due to their failure to protect and defend the abused victim (if the victim happens to be one of their parents). It will not be long too before these children start to develop problems in school and in their various relationships with everyone around them.

Domestic abuse lawyers, as explained by the law firm Alexander & Associates, understand that almost all couples will occasionally have an argument or disagreement that can sometimes become extremely heated, leading both parties to say or do things that they regret later. Unfortunately, many of these types of situations may eventually result in an accusation of domestic abuse against one of the individuals involved. Fighting such a charge can often be difficult for the accused.

Allegations of domestic abuse are treated with utmost seriousness and will most likely result in formal charges, even if the alleged victim does not press charges. For the accused, better for him or her to immediately begin taking action to defend his or her rights, as well as to protect his or her future in the legal battle that is likely to follow the formal charges.

Technology has become abundant and advanced enough for it to be accessible even by the most ordinary people. For this reason, it has also become a great avenue for businesses to make their name more known to the public, and make their products and services more accessible than ever.

But how can businesses utilize technology to have the competitive advantage? There are numerous ways how, and some ways are more effective than others, depending on the nature of your business and you target market.

Make a website

Everybody is in the internet, so it is not a new idea to make a website to make your company, products, and services exposed for the world to see. This website can feature the nature of your company, your contact information, product catalogues, pricing lists, and other relevant information that potential customers may need.

Create great content

But there are so many websites out there already, so how can you make yours stand out? You need to have great content in your website. By having great content, potential customers may find your site and be aware of the existence of your company, products and services, and existing customers may go back to your site from time to time and give you more sales. If you have great content, you are giving the impression that you know your stuff, so customers will trust your products and services more.

Develop a mobile app

We already live in a fast-paced world, so not everybody relies on desktops anymore. Many rely on mobile phones. To tap this market, it is a good idea to develop an application for their phones. One example is Big Momma Apps, a company that develops mobile apps for law firms, so their potential clients will have easier access to their products and services.

Consider online marketing

What are the sites your potential customers visit often? Is it a blog that exclusively features cakes? Is it a Youtube channel that updates them of daily sports happenings? Whatever it is, you should consider partnering with the people who handle these sites to get your name out there to the people who you think may be interested in your products and services.

Children can be very vulnerable to sexual abuse because they cannot defend themselves. They also have the tendency to be fearful, so they don’t just openly explain their situation to their parents or guardians, especially when the abuser is giving them threats of violence.

As the adult, you have the responsibility to make sure that your children are in safe spaces, away from sexual abusers. If children are not capable of explaining the situation to you, look for the signs of sexual abuse so you can know the situation yourself without the help of your children talking.

Physical signs
Physical signs are the easiest to see, because they are mostly backed up by physical evidence, such as injuries. The most common physical signs include:

Bloody or torn clothes

Bruising, especially in the arms and legs

Pregnancy

Sexually transmitted diseases

Unexplained soreness, particularly in the mouth and reproductive and anal areas

Psychological signs
The sudden changes in behavior in children can be signs of sexual abuse. The most common psychological signs include:

Changes in eating habits
Sleeping problems, including nightmares

Sudden withdrawal from social interaction

Unexplained avoidance to a particular person

Unexplained mood swings

Unwarranted fear of being alone with a particular person

Developmental signs
There are also changes in the development of a child that can be signals of sexual abuse. These developmental signs include the following:

Learning of adult words, particularly those that involve body parts and sexual behaviors

Poor academic performance

Regression to younger behavior, such as bed wetting
Usage of toys and other objects in a sexual manner

If you see these signs, be cautious. But also remember that these signs do not automatically translate into sexual abuse. If a child you know have these signs and the parent is accusing you of rape, you may want to get legal help, such as these Nashville sex crime attorneys. Sexual abuse, especially towards children, is a serious issue, but we should always look at either side to deliver the proper justice for all parties.

On the night of January 27, 2014, an Illinois State Trooper, a bright yellow Tollway assistance vehicle and a heavy-duty tow truck all parked along the rightmost lane of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway to assist a Chicago-bound big rig which had stalled out in the same side of the tollway.

Aside from the flares that were sputtered on the pavement, the red and blue light of the state trooper’s squad car also strobed into the frozen night, while the Tollway truck’s amber hazard lights and large blinking arrow flashed visibly up to about 10 miles.

While everyone was busy assisting the driver of the stalled rig, another flatbed big rig that was loaded with three massive rolls of steel, approached on the same lane where all the said vehicles were parked. The approaching rig’s driver neither saw the flashing bright lights nor the flares as he was falling asleep (this was discovered during the court investigation) while driving at 63 miles per hour. Failing to change lanes, the flatbed rig rammed into all parked vehicles, bursting the patrol car’s gas tank, injuring the driver of the stalled big rig and instantly killing the driver of the Tollway vehicle.

Records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that from April to July 2015 alone, 21 individuals died in a string of four big rig accidents, all due to big rigs’ drivers nodding off. These 21 deaths due to drowsiness are significantly small, according to authorities, however, as no blood test or roadside exam exists which would determine drowsiness; many truck drivers, who survive deadly accidents (and many of them do due to the massive size of their vehicle), would also not admit to having fallen asleep prior to the accident. Despite the lack of admittance from so many drivers, authorities remain convinced that most fatal truck accidents are due to truck drivers falling asleep – unless there are other reasons that would explain why many of them completely fail to notice other vehicles ahead or the bright flashing lights.

Thousands of fatal accidents occur due to people’s carelessness or negligence. Though acting or behaving in ways that will not endanger another person is a fundamental responsibility to every driver, millions seem to be oblivious of this legal responsibility once they get behind the wheel. Due to this, and due to choosing to act without regard for the safety of others and causing them harm as a result, the law allows innocent victims (or their families) to seek and receive compensation from liable, negligent truck drivers.

The worst consequence of a negligent act is the untimely or wrongful death of someone else. A tragic truck accident, though, is not the only cause of wrongful death. There are also car accidents; motorcycle accidents; construction accidents; medical malpractice; defective products; slip and fall accidents; and nursing home abuse/negligence.

In a wrongful death claim lawsuit, the family or dependents of the deceased can name the liable truck driver and/or his/her employer as defendants in the lawsuit. This lawsuit is for the benefit of the surviving family members and the decedent’s other dependents; all of them are legally identified as “real parties in interest.” A wrongful death claim is actually a special kind of personal injury lawsuit that is filed for the purpose of seeking compensation for whatever pecuniary or financial damages the dependents may suffer, like loss of the decedent’s financial support, loss of services and companionship, lost prospect of inheritance, and medical and funeral expenses.

According to a Georgetown wrongful death lawyer, it is understandable to feel incredible hurt and anger upon learning that the death of someone you loved was senseless and preventable. While legal action will do little to truly address your loss, a wrongful death claim may be used as a tool to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions and to address any expenses you’ve accrued as a result. Moreover, successful litigation of these claims can serve as a powerful deterrent and, hopefully, prevent future accidents from occurring.

Marital rape, or spousal rape, refers to any form of unwanted or non-consensual sexual intercourse or penetration forced by an individual upon his/her spouse or ex-spouse (penetration, which is completed through the use of force, threat of force or i the spouse lacks the capability to consent, may be vaginal, anal, or oral). In various studies on marital rape cases, offender and victim included individuals who were legally married to each other, are cohabiting with one another, divorced or separated. Regardless of the type of relationship, marital rape, which is a serious and current form of violence against women, is a very serious crime

According to the website of the Nashville spousal rape attorneys at Horst Law, it is explained that married individuals may be charged with spousal rape if they engage in sexual penetration that is unlawful because it is alleged that the defendant was armed with a weapon, caused serious bodily harm, or the couple has been separated and at least one partner has filed for either divorce or separate maintenance. A charge of spousal rape can be elevated to aggravated sexual assault if the defendant was particularly vile, cruel, or otherwise inhumane and either caused serious bodily harm or was armed with a weapon.

Though now considered a crime in all U.S. states, it was only in 1979 when Americans accepted the fact that a husband can actually commit the act of rape where the victim is his wife. Prior to said year, and for centuries, it was believed that no man could ever be held guilty of raping his wife. This belief takes its root from the English common law, from which many traditional laws in the U.S. are based. One stipulation of the common law said that it was legally impossible for a man to be pronounced guilty of raping his wife. This is due to a woman’s implied permanent consent to her husband having rights over her once she enters into a marital union; since this consent is considered to be permanent, it can never be retracted.

Marital rape is usually prosecuted as a Class C felony, while its aggravated form is considered as a Class B felony. Most states penalize marital rape with fines that range from several thousand of dollars to over $50,000, prison terms that may last for several years or for life without parole.

When someone enters somebody else’s premises, there is always an assumption that has adequate security. Property owners are legally liable for ensuring the security of their tenants or guests. Unfortunately, many crimes and accidents have been caused by inadequate security. According to the website of Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC, crimes in premises can be prevented if only the owner took all the necessary security measures in securing their property.

There are different kinds of security measures that property owners can implement in their premises. The owner of a property can have control of what will happen to their guests while inside their premises. If they were aware of any security threats and did not do something to remove such, the property owner can be held liable if a guest or tenant gets injured while inside the premises. The Restatement of Courts states that the plaintiff should prove that their landlord failed in their duty of providing reasonable care to guests or tenants.

Inadequate security can happen in any property. Whether it’s in an apartment, parking lot, parking ramps, shops, banks, ATM machines and others, proper security measures must be in place for the sake of the guest. In proving inadequate security, the plaintiff needs to prove that they were physically present on the property of the owner and that there was a breach in the duty to provide reasonable security.

Foreseeability is another important issue when proving inadequate security. It is up to the court to determine whether there were similar crimes in the same property or whether the owner knew or should have been aware of it. Likewise, the court may determine whether the previous crimes were violent personal crimes or just property crimes.

Adequate security may vary from one case to another. In some states, property owners hire a security team to protect premises. Other security measures include installing lights, adding locks and corresponding duplicate keys.

Getting a product liability insurance is important especially if you are engaged in manufacturing products. If someone gets injured or even dies from using your product, you could be held liable for damages. Without product liability, you could end up paying a huge sum of money. This is where your product liability insurance will kick in. The victims will hold you responsible for whatever losses that will result from the injury or damage so you can use your policy to pay off those claims and keep your business intact.

According to the website of Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, there is always an assumption that the product is safe whenever the consumer buys them. As a manufacturer of products, you always have the dilemma of ensuring the safety of every product that you sell. In addition,you always vouch for the performance of your products and that they are free from defects, errors, or misrepresentations. The fact that you are selling them to the market means that it is safe for use. But somewhere along the way, something can go wrong and your product becomes defective and your business can get in serious jeopardy.

Your liability can come from three fronts namely manufacturing or production flaw, design defect, and defective warning or instruction. Victims will make you liable and may seek damages and compensation. Product liability claims can have varying cost so having an insurance can save you some expenses. The lawsuit may not only claim damages but will also include other costs as well such as medical expenses, loss income, grievance if the liabaility leads to death. For this reason, it really pays to protect your business with a product liability insurance. It will give you the peace of mind when emergencies such as lawsuits arise.

In this day and age where everything is online, digital, and on the go, tracking your business using a spreadsheet won’t cut it. To stay on top of your game, you need to know every single process happening on your sales funnel – from website clicks to actual leads, where they happen as they happen. Luckily, for those in the landscaping industry, CRM for landscapers are now available to help them with their tracking needs.

But what exactly is CRM, and how will you know that you are in need of one? CRM, or customer relationship management, is a system used by many different businesses to track every stage of sales process. With this platform, contractors are able to objectively measure every transactions, giving them valuable insights about where they business stand.

You know you need CRM for your business if you are beginning to lose some important data. It could be the information about what your potential customers clicked on your website, or the contact details of those who visited your office or called your office phone. Whatever information is lost, each of them is important in trying to get a bigger, fuller picture about your company.

You also know that you are in need of CRM if you are starting to lose track of your sales personnel, especially when they are working on the go. Cloud-based CRM platforms allow you to track every business deals that your sales teams are working on in real-time, keeping you up-to-date with the latest developments.

With all the vital information about your customers, their needs, and the prevailing market conditions at your fingertips, you are able to treat your customers in a more customized manner. This way, you can provide exactly what they need while also giving them the best, most personalized buying experience possible.